Tina M Baxter Of Baxter Professional Services On The Self-Care Routines & Practices Of Busy Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

An Interview With Maria Angelova

Develop your own self-care plan. When I am in a stressful situation, I often put on my essential oils. I use them to help my clients with anxiety to calm down. After a stressful session, I will diffuse lavender oil or drink a cup of chamomile tea. The use of peppermint oil has been studied and found to be useful to reduce postoperative nausea after surgery. Use what works for you in developing your selfcare plan.

All of us know that we have to take breaks in our day to take care of ourselves. “Selfcare is healthcare”, the saying goes. At the same time, we know that when you are a busy leader with enormous responsibility on your shoulders, it’s so easy to prioritize the urgent demands of work over the important requirements of self-care. How do busy entrepreneurs and leaders create space to properly take care of themselves? What are the self-care routines of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders? In this interview series, we are talking to busy and successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and civic leaders who can discuss their self-care practices and self-care routines. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Tina M. Baxter, APRN, GNP-BC.

Tina M. Baxter is an advanced practice registered nurse and a board certified gerontological nurse practitioner through the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC), who resides in Anderson, Indiana. Mrs. Baxter has been a registered nurse for over twenty years and a nurse practitioner for 14 years. She is the owner of Baxter Professional Services, LLC, a consulting firm which provides legal nurse consulting services for attorneys and insurance professionals; wellness and chronic disease management coaching; customized educational and operational resources to healthcare organizations; and the founder of The Nurse Shark Academy, helping nurses build and launch their own businesses.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is an honor. Our readers would love to learn more about your personal background. Can you please share with our readers your personal backstory; What has brought you to this point in your life?

I have always had an interest in healthcare. Growing up, I watched my mom work as a church nurse in our local church. I saw her perform CPR on a guest minister. His heart had stopped. We prayed, she provided CPR, we called the paramedics. Before they could get there, he woke up, and got up and went back to preaching. He did go to the hospital after he was done. It was amazing.

What is your “why” behind what you do? What fuels you?

I believe we are put on this earth to make it a better place. I truly believe that it is my duty and calling to serve others. Your service may be different than my service. Not everyone is called to a nurse, but everyone is called to service. When I think about the impact that I am able to make in someone’s life, by being a witness and to say, yes, you are here and I see you, that is a particular grace that many are not afforded. I start each in gratitude and I look for ways to serve others, whether it be a kind word, a smile, or holding the hand of someone who is dying.

How do you define success? Can you please explain what you mean from a personal anecdote?

Success to me means living your life authentically and being true to who you really are without apology. I will give an example. I, at one time, wanted to be a physician. I had planned for it, taken the MCAT twice, and yet I could not get myself to apply to med school. It gave me nightmares of being chained to a desk by men in white coats, telling me I had to learn a certain way or do a certain thing. In the dream, I just kept thinking, “They have sucked all of the fun of it.” Just so you know, I have many physicians and nurses in my family. What I discovered was that many physicians don’t have life outside of the hospital and I didn’t want that for my life. It was later, that I considered nursing after seeing the care that the nurses gave to the residents in the nursing home in which I was working as a CNA. I decided then, if they could do it, I could do it.” I chose nursing over medicine and it has been the best decision in my life because nursing has allowed me to be true to who I am. I don’t just want to fix my patients; I want to help then fix themselves. That is something that nursing has allowed me to do, help educate others about a healthier lifestyle.

What is the role of a growth mindset in your success? Can you please share 3 mindset mantras that keep you motivated, sane, and propel you forward?

I have been on a year of growth. It started back in January, when I participated in a wisdom challenge through the book of Proverbs. I actively invest in myself. I realize that I am my greatest asset. I live by the following affirmations: 1. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. There is no one like me. 2. I am here for a purpose or as Loki would, “I am burden with glorious purpose.” Now, I know to some that may seem pompous, but it is not. We are each here to make a difference in this time, at this moment. 3. You only have one shot, one life to live, one trip. Make it count. When I turned 35, I had a thought that if the life expectancy was about 70 years give or take, then I was halfway through. I did not want to be at the end of my life, whenever it comes, and think, “I wish had taken a chance, been braver, or really went for it.” The time is now and that is all that we are promised.

You are by all accounts a very successful person. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I want to share what I have learned with others. That is leaving a legacy. When my students succeed and even some, go beyond where I have been, I have sense of accomplishment. I was able to help them on their journey. That is real success. Leaving people better for having met you. I mentor students and my fellow Nurse Sharks as a way passing it forward.

Can you share a mistake or failure which you now appreciate, and which has taught you a valuable lesson?

I can be very opinionated. I remember a professor saying that I was too judgmental towards the patients. She was right. I was your typical type A, people pleasing, student and I was very rigid in my thinking back then. I have learned through maturity there are many gray areas and that it may be the best that someone can do, given the circumstances. I have learned to listen and be open to different people’s point of view. It has expanded my world and I am grateful for it.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

I am a lifelong learner and avid reader. I was the kid who read the back of the cereal box to have something to read each day. My parents would drop me off in the library and I would spend many happy hours reading. I still read to this day. I enjoy all kinds of genre.

I am a planner. I like to schedule everything. If it is not on the schedule, it may not get down. When I was newly married, I was in charge of scheduling our first big vacation. As I typically do, I made an itinerary, complete with MapQuest directions, tickets, and everything we needed in a binder. What did I not do? Add downtime to the schedule. My husband is the opposite of me. He needs time in between activities. I am a go-go-go person. I learned from the experience and the anxiety I felt when he derailed some of my schedule, to put in relaxation time into the schedule so that his needs were met and it did not make me crazy.

I also like to explore new things. I routinely take time out for thinking. I like to do silly things like watch YouTube videos of cats being cats, or watching this guy who cleans rugs. Now, it may sound incredibly boring, but I am fascinated by the process and I appreciate the hard work that goes into cleaning the dirtiest of rugs, only to have them come out looking like brand new. I am genuinely curious about the lives, cultures, and beliefs of others. I like to watch people from different cultures try new things on YouTube. You get to learn that we really aren’t all that different. It makes the world smaller.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

I am writing a book about nurse entrepreneurship. I want to share what I have learned to help other nurses navigate launching a business. I am in the beginning stages of the project but I have a book editor already lined up.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about Self-Care. Let’s start with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. What does self-care mean to you?

It means giving yourself attention and recognizing that your body is a temple. You cannot draw from an empty well. You must care for you to be healthy enough to care for others.

As a successful leader with an intense schedule, what do you do to prioritize self-care, and carve out regular time to make self-care part of your routine?

I put myself on the schedule. I did not always do that. I would pack my day with meetings, patient appointments, podcast interviews, you name it from 8 am to whenever. Some clients are in different time zones. I would hold a meeting at 11 pm because the person I was speaking to, was in India. It didn’t matter that I had be in the clinic by 8 am the next morning. I no longer do that. I made a firm commitment to stop working at 9 pm, with rare exceptions. I schedule a weekend away and I don’t go into the office. I make sure I put my nail appointment on the books, schedule a regular massage, and I typically don’t work on Sunday. I set aside Sunday for church, rest and personal development. Occasionally, I schedule a day to do nothing but think. It is my “thinkin’ day.” I may read, meditate, or watch a good movie.

Will you please share with our readers 3 of your daily, or frequent self-care habits?

I start each morning with gratitude. I say thank you for the new day and gratitude. I eat breakfast most mornings. I love breakfast. I get cranky and I am not my best if I don’t have breakfast in the morning. I drink plenty of water. I have cut down on the sugary drinks and I strive to drink 64 ounces of water daily.

This is the main question of our interview. Based on your own experiences or research can you please share 5 ways that taking time for self-care will improve our lives?

1. Make healthy food choices. For example, although moderate doses of caffeine can improve concentration and give an energy boost, high doses of caffeine have been associated with increased anxiety and sleep disturbances according to JAMA. Try switching out one cup of coffee with a cup of herbal tea.
2. Get adequate sleep. A recent article in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, notes that healthy sleep is important for mood, mental health, heart health, and metabolism. Sleep deprivation increases your risk of accidents, heart disease, obesity, and cancer. Although sleep patterns may vary, adults are recommended to sleep 7 or more hours per night.
3. Keep first things first. A Korean study has shown that prioritizing time more than money is positively associated with happiness. Although money is helpful, it is the relationships with others, personal growth, and our affiliations that produce the most happiness. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me” a quote attributed to Steve Jobs.
4. Love yourself, The Golden Rule is to treat others how you would treat yourself, or as Jesus says, “Love your neighbor like you love yourself.” You must first love yourself before you can love others. Put yourself on the calendar. Schedule a time for renewal whether it’s going for a walk, reading a good book, booking a massage, or going out with friends.
5. Develop your own self-care plan. When I am in a stressful situation, I often put on my essential oils. I use them to help my clients with anxiety to calm down. After a stressful session, I will diffuse lavender oil or drink a cup of chamomile tea. The use of peppermint oil has been studied and found to be useful to reduce postoperative nausea after surgery. Use what works for you in developing your selfcare plan.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

Keanu Reeves. I have been following him on YouTube and I love his humor. He seems to be a solid guy from all accounts.

What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?

You can follow us on our website, LinkedIn or Facebook. https://www.baxterprofessionalservices.com/

linkedin.com/in/tina-baxter-58b25925 https://www.facebook.com/BaxterProfessionalServices

Walter K. Caffeine and Health. JAMA. 2022;327(7):693. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21452 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789026#:~:text=Caffeine%20in%20moderate%20doses%20(40,and%20suicide%20in%20some%20studies.

Ramar K, Malhotra RK, Carden KA, et al. Sleep is essential to health: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(10):2115–2119. https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.9476

Lee MA, Kawachi I. The keys to happiness: Associations between personal values regarding core life domains and happiness in South Korea. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 9;14(1):e0209821. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209821. PMID: 30625160; PMCID: PMC6326475. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326475/

Stea S, Beraudi A, De Pasquale D. Essential oils for complementary treatment of surgical patients: state of the art. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:726341. doi: 10.1155/2014/726341. Epub 2014 Feb 24. PMID: 24707312; PMCID: PMC3953654. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3953654/

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher, and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness, and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.